City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Worcester, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Worcester, MA are 10.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $110,200 in Worcester, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,599 a month in Worcester, MA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Worcester, MA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,735 a year in AL and $4,780 in MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.8% moving from Huntsville, AL to Worcester, MA ($110,847 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Worcester, MA: price level 102.5 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 102.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,155 in Worcester | $90,782 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,599/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $57,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Worcester, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Worcester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 113.0 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 155.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 102.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Worcester, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$45/yr.
39 Weak offer
Worcester, MA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$45/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Worcester, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Worcester, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Worcester, MA | Real change, Huntsville → Worcester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $69,905 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $84,579 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $101,375 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $120,548 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $142,452 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Worcester, MA | Worcester pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,330 | $128,630 | $116,772 (−10.4%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $146,950 | $133,404 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $94,070 | $85,398 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $100,240 | $90,999 (+18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.